Improvement in locks



UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

T. A. AUBERIJIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,941, dated April 17,1866.

To all whom fit may concern:

Beit known that I, THEoPHILUs A. AUBER- LIN, of San Francisco, in thecounty ot' San Francisco and State of California, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Locks; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referenceheilig had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecitication, in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation ot' alock constructed according to this invention, with a double set oftumblers, the lock-plate having been removed so as to expose theinternal mechanism. Fig. 2 is a transverse section ot' the same, theline x x, Fig. 1 ,indicating the plane ot section. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation of a lock with a single set of tumblers, the tront platehaving been removed to expose the internal mechanism. Fig. 4 is atransverse section ot' the same, taken in the plane indicated by theline y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation ot a key and knobcombined, to be used with one of my locks.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a lock the bolt of which is thrown in or outby the action ot' a bit which projects from a nut revolvingin a suitablesocket or sockets in the front or back plate of the lock, or in bot-h.Said nut is provided with a iiat slot or hole to receive the key, whichconsists of a hat piece of sheet-steel or other suitable material, andwhich serves to bring the tumblers in the proper position to allow ofmoving the bolt. lt desired, the nut and bit may be rigidly connected toa handle or knob, through which in that case the key is inserted, andwhich when the key is in serves to lock and unlock the door, and the keymay also be hinged toa suitable case, which serves as a handle to lockand unlock, and which protects the key when the same is carried in thepocket.

A represents the case of my lock, which may be made of brass or iron orot' any suitable metal, either wrought or cast, and which forms theguide and protection for the various working parts of the lock.

Bis the bolt, the head of which is guided in a slot in the front of theca-se A, whereas its shank is held in the proper position by two studs,a, bearing on its edges, as shown, or in anyothersuitable manner.Said-bolt is thrown in and outby the actiouof a bit, b, which project-'sfrom a nut, C, and this nut is fitted in a socket, o, in thel case A, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be iitted between the front and backplates ofthe case, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This nut is provided witha narrow slot or hole, el, to receive the key K, which is made ot avpiece of sheet-steel or other suitable material, and provided with asuitable handle, by which it can be turned after it has been insertedinto the key-hole. The edges of this key are provided with notches e,corresponding to a series ot' tumblers, E, so that by turning the keysaid tumblers are brought in the proper position to allow the boltbeingmoved in or out.

When two sets of tumblers are used, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, they arearranged on opposite sides of the key-hole, and the key, on beinginserted, passes in between them. Before the key acts ou said tumblerstheir noses bear against studsf, rising from the shank ot' the bolt; butif the keyis turned round in the proper direction the notches c in itsedges throw the tumblers in such a position that the noses of the sameclear the studsf, and the bolt is free to move in or out. Thisarrangement is applicable for locks which are locked from one side only;but for such looks which are locked and unlocked from bothv sides I useonly one set of tumblers, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this case onlyone edge of the key need be notched, although it does no harm to notchboth edges, so as to mislead persons not acquainted with the internalarrangement of the lock.

The operation of the key on the tumblers is the same whether one or twosets of tumblers are used, and in either case the bit of the nut bearsagainst a segmental or semicircular shoulder ofthe shank of the bolt,and thereby the possibility of feeling the tumblers is renderedextremely difficult or almost im possible.

The nut Cis held in position by a spring, g, which bears on a nose, It,projecting from that side oi' the same opposite the bit b. This springmay be applied in various different ways, and I do not wish to connemyself to the precise arrangcmentshown in the drawings, but reserve theright to cha-nge the same as I may find desirable or convenient. W'iththe nut may be combined a knob or handle, H, through which the key isinserted, as shown in Fig. 5, and which serves to open and close a doorand also to lock and unlock the bolt when the key is in.

lf desired, the key K may be connected to its handle by a pivot, z', sothat it can be turned down and carried conveniently in the pocket. Bythe application of a suitable hook-catch to the key on the inside of adoor said key can be secured so that it cannot be pshed out and the lockcannot be tampered with.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

stantiall y as and for the purpose described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 28th day ofOctober, 1865.

THEOPHILUS A. AUBERLIN.

Witnesses LOUIS GHELY, J. BURKHARD.

